


Home is Not Places (It is Love)

by daisyridlayy (amyandrorywilliams)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff and Angst, background Alex/Maggie, background other stuff too probably, maybe smut at some point very long down the road, slowburn, these idiots are going to take a while to get together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:33:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8850433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyandrorywilliams/pseuds/daisyridlayy
Summary: Lena Luthor is tired of living under the Luthor shadow, she can feel it weighing her down. All she wants is to graduate high school and move far away from National City. Leave everything behind. Until Kara Kent-Danvers moves in across the street, with her absurd smiles and eyes and talk of fresh starts. How could a girl do anything but fall?





	1. Introductions and Exposition

Lena Luthor had not been watching for the new girl. She didn’t even know there _was_ a new girl, until she had glanced outside to get a glimpse of the sunrise.  

She had been curled up in her window nook unable to sleep when she saw it. Something new. She glanced across her mother’s absurdly manicured front yard to the house across the street. Lena readjusted herself to focus, pushing her AP economics textbooks off her lap and letting it clatter loudly to the floor. It’s not like she would wake anyone, her mother was at work and the help had been up for hours making sure the manor was spotless.

She squinted at the people moving in, trying to make out the vague shapes from such a distanc e. Frankly, Lena was surprised it had even sold. It was small and pretty crappy, and the house had been vacant for months. Lena was harboring a sneaking suspicion her mother had been waiting to snatch it just when the owners got desperate. She was cheap, for such a wealthy woman. She must have considered her estate incomplete without a second guest house, or whatever she would have used the property for. She almost wished her mother was home, so she could see her reaction. Almost.

But hey, maybe she was wrong. Maybe her mother would have donated it to charity. Not for the sake of mankind or human decency, but for the good press. After what Lex had done to undermine the family name, no amount of philanthropy would erase it. Not that her mother would admit that. Even after he got himself locked up, he was still the golden boy in her eyes.

The neighbors had no moving truck, just a van packed to the brim. Lena watched as two girls unloaded what seemed like hundreds of boxes into the small family house. She couldn’t tell much more than that from her nook. It was in the attic; she was too high and too far to make out any details. She was contemplating the pros and cons of moving downstairs for a better view when her alarm went off. She glanced at the time in disbelief. _When in the hell had it become six am?_ She tried to remember if she had slept, but a look at her immaculately made bed gave her the uncomfortable answer.

Lena rubbed her eyes while she still could, before methodically applying makeup. She kept catching her own grey eyes in the mirrors, and played the “ignore how similar they were to Lex’s” game. She played it often, but hardly ever won. Even though she was adopted, her mother always told her they held the Luthor calculative nature. The coldness. She had meant it as a compliment, and maybe it was. If it had been another morning, she might have searched for the similarity. It might have comforted her. But on the first day of her senior year, she tried to push all thoughts of Lex from her head. All thoughts of her mother, all thoughts but those of coffee. A giant mug of it; black with a spoonful of sugar.

As she descended the stairs and nodded to a maid in the hall, the image of Lex’s stare slipped back into her head. She could feel his eyes on her, which was ridiculous. He was locked up on Stryker’s Island, where he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. He certainly was not in the house, watching her as she brewed coffee. As she ate the breakfast her cook provided (toast and fruit, anything else would make her sick so early). As she packed her bag for school (she hid her pocket knife in the inside pocket).

His lack of existence weighed a million pounds.

She knew he was miles away, but a small part of her wished otherwise. Wished he would emerge from his room with a smile on his face, tell her it had all been a sick joke. He’d eat breakfast with her, and tell her his dreams. He always had the most fascinating dreams. She hadn’t heard her own brother’s voice in three months. Hadn’t heard her own _mass murderer_ brother’s voice in three months. How fucking sad was it that she cared so much?

 _I’m going to be late_ , Lena thought to herself, cutting herself off from any other useless lines of thinking. It was a lie of course; it was still way too early. She did it anyway, pointedly ignoring the request of her family bodyguard to accompany her. Her mother would be displeased if she found out, but Lena was not about to let herself be driven to school like she was a child. She would be eighteen in just under three months, she didn’t need a babysitter. (She tried not to think about how the last three years of school it had been Lex driving her, he made time for her even during his busiest days. Except near the end of course.)

As she pulled out of the garage, she passed her new neighbors just in time to see a blonde girl take what finally seemed to be the family’s last box in her hand and shut the car door. Lena stared obviously, as she lifted a box the size of herself with ease.

The blonde was the most gorgeous girl she had ever seen. Her honey-tinted hair was tied back into a loose ponytail which was rapidly falling apart and brushing against her cheek. Her eyes shimmered a soft green, the color of new leaves, new things—everything about her looked like a spring day. She wore a yellow sweater that made her seem like the sun. It was a little too tight, showing off the girl’s biceps. She was smiling somehow, even while swearing loudly. Lena could hear it, through her barely rolled down window. Lena wanted to reach out and touch her. _Maybe this year won’t be so bad after all._

Lena must have slowed down, because the girl looked over at her. She panicked for a moment, because the last thing she needed were her neighbors getting a bad impression of her. She’d never hear the end of it from her mother. She took a breath of relief when she remembered the car had tinted windows, and internally thanked her mother for her paranoia.

Lena sped back up to a normal speed, leaving the girl behind just as a brunette woman stepped out of the house and called for the blonde.

“Kara!”  

The name bounced around in Lena’s head. She had never met a Kara. She let herself be preoccupied with the pretty girl next door, pointedly ignoring how empty the car felt without Lex Luthor in the passenger seat.

* * *

 

“We literally just finished moving Kara, don’t you want to take a break?” Kara looked offended at the idea. Alex tried to talk her out of it, but Kara insisted she go to school the instant she brought the last box inside.

“No one would blame you, Kara. We could spend all day getting the place set up, fixing yours and Alex’s rooms. Shopping for last minute things we forgot. We could make a day of it!” Kara knew her sister and Eliza were just trying to make her feel more comfortable, but it wasn’t helping. She loved to redecorate as much as the next girl, but the idea of falling behind in school made her anxious. If she didn’t show up on the first day, she’d miss introductions. She might miss the opportunity to meet new people. She could spend the entire year eating alone, with no one to talk to.

Alex frowned slightly, “Mom, I don’t need you to fix up my room anymore that’s kind of the point of me moving out. Remember?”

Eliza chuckled and replied, “Of course, you’re right Alex. But surely you wouldn’t rob me of helping my other daughter move in, would you? Don’t you have to get going to the University soon anyway?”

Kara’s stomach churned, and for the thousandth time she wished Alex was just a little younger. That they would be facing the new school together. Instead, Alex was off to solidify her sophomore college schedule, and Kara was left to her first day of senior year completely alone. Everyone would already know each other, they had all been friends for years. She’d be the weird outsider, like she always was.

She knew why she had to leave her old school. Eliza had been offered an absurdly lucrative bio-engineering job offer in Silicon Valley, that she would have been stupid not to take. It was either Kara move to California, or Alex and her get their own place in National City, where Alex went to school. Besides, after Detective Clark Kent brought in the most dangerous domestic terrorist in a decade, the name Kent was becoming a little too big of a shadow for Kara to wear. It was even worse after they had started nicknaming him Superman. Her cousin was brave, and a good man. But people talked about him like they worshipped him. Like he was some kind of god or… superhero. It was a lot.

Kara needed a new start, away from all of it.

“I’m still okay on time. I was planning on dropping Kara off at school, so you could get going. Your plane takes off in a couple hours right?” Alex’s words broke Kara out of her daze and she shot Alex a look. Her sister was trying to hurry her mom out, and she could tell. Eliza had barely agreed to letting Kara move in with Alex, and only after they had discussed it for what felt like _years_. They were only renting the place for a year, and it was small compared to the place across the street, but it was still a huge deal to Eliza. And to Kara.

“I’d love your help moving in, Eliza! But I really do need to go figure out my classes, I don’t want to get lost or anything, on the first day. Thanks so much for helping us, you didn’t have to do any of this. I want you to know how grateful I am for this. For everything.” Kara could feel her eyes watering up a little, and she wrapped her foster mother in a hug. Eliza was someone she felt grateful for every time she saw her. Kara could have had no one after her parents died, she could have been thrown into foster care. Instead, she had Eliza and Alex. Oh, and Clark of course. She had a family.

“Of course I did, Kara. That’s what family does.” Eliza broke the hug after a moment, her eyes damp as well. “All right, all right. I guess I’ll leave you be. It seems you don’t need me anymore, the two of you are all grown up.” Eliza reached her arms out to Alex for a hug, which Kara of course made into a group hug. Alex squirmed out of it first, and her mother gave her that ‘I’m-not-angry-just-disappointed-look.’

“Stop back here before you head to National University, Alex. I want to talk to you before I go.” Kara looked between her sister and Eliza, attempting to gauge how her sister was feeling. She could be hard to read, but Kara knew when something was wrong. Something felt off between them. Kara hoped this fight wasn’t her fault (a lot of them seemed to be). Alex nodded silently back to Eliza.

Kara kept her smile despite her worry, and dragged Alex to the car. As soon as she shut the car door and waved goodbye to Eliza, Kara frowned. “Alex?”

Alex didn’t take her eyes off the road, “Kara?” She said it like it was a question, and acted like nothing was wrong.

“Is everything okay right now, between you and Eliza? Are you guys fighting again?” Kara tried to sound nonchalant. She didn’t quite make it.

Alex shook her head, “No, not really. She’s just worried I’m going to let you throw parties, and skip school every day. I’ll talk her out of it, don’t worry about it. Just focus on having the _best_ first day of school.”

Kara groaned dramatically, “Why did you say it like that?”

“Like what?” Alex said innocently, as if she hadn’t just made school sound like a circle of hell.

“Oh, you know! Just because _some of us_ hated high school doesn’t mean I do.” Kara loved to learn about the world, it helped her make sense of everything.

“Please, everyone hates high school Kara.” The sisters bickered back and forth about nothing significant until they made it to the school. It was all modern, with glass and fresh arches. It looked nothing like her old-school brick building back home. There were kids spilling into it, which meant she was on time, right?

“Well, have fun. Remember, I’m only a phone call away. Try not to arm-wrestle anyone on your first day. Breaking an arm is not the best way to make an impression.” Kara rolled her eyes at her sister, before giving her a half-hug from the passenger seat and setting off for the day.

Everything was going to be great. Even if every hall looked the same and she was _already_ lost and _was that the bell?_ Kara almost cried in relief when she saw the main office.

* * *

 

Lena Luthor was cursed. There was no other explanation.

She had signed up as an office aid at the end of the last year, thinking it would be a way to gain favor with the principal and enjoy some quiet. Mr. Henshaw was famously ruthless, and winning him over could only benefit her. She was peacefully stapling paper at her tiny desk, getting into a rhythm. Loud footsteps and a voice startled her out of it almost immediately.

“Hi, um. I’m looking for Principal Henshaw?” Lena looked up, and standing over her was the blonde from across the street. Kara. Her eyes looked greener in person.

“Well, I’m certainly not him. Maybe you’ve come to the wrong place?” Lena suggested, enjoying the way the blonde’s eyes were widening in worry.

“Am I? I’m allowed to be in here right? I’m not like, trespassing into his office? I didn’t mean to, it’s just I’m new here—my name’s Kara by the way— and I don’t really know where I’m supposed to go. The sign said ‘main office’ but…” Kara trailed off when she caught Lena’s eyes, forgetting what she had been going on about.

Lena noticed, and grinned. She thought the girl had seemed beautiful from afar, but standing in front of her it felt almost comical. Her eyes seemed to soften everything they looked at, and her hair appeared so smooth it must have been silk. Her sweater fit well, not too tight or too large. Lena would have liked it to be a bit tighter, if she was being honest. With the neat sweater and skirt, she was dressed like a perfect, over-eager student. The only thing that seemed out of place was the glint of a metal chain around her neck mostly obscured by her sweater. _I wonder what that’s about._  

Lena focused back on the girl’s words instead of her appearance. “Don’t get too excited. You’re fine here, Kara was it?” Lena knew perfectly well what her name was. Saying it aloud though, made the blonde smile for some reason, almost like a puppy responding to being called. _This girl cannot be real._

“Yeah, that’s me! Do you think you could call the principal, or someone who could find my schedule? I was supposed to get it emailed to me, but I never did.”

“Not a surprise. Our administration is pretty useless here. One year they forgot to hire a new geometry teacher after the old one resigned, no one noticed until halfway through the year. Tenth graders were just skipping out to Starbucks every day.” Lena stifled a laugh at Kara’s expression. She looked like Lena had just told her someone had been spitting in her cereal every morning.

“You’re joking.” It sounded like a plea, and Lena let a low laugh echo from her throat. It was hardly bitter.

“Afraid not. But don’t worry, I’ll find your schedule for you. I’m at least a little more competent than them. It should only take a second.” Lena glanced pointedly at the empty desk behind her, where the school attendance woman should have been. She walked over to it, and typed in what she knew was the woman’s password. NatHS1234. It was the default password.

Kara frowned, “You’re a student? I just thought— I mean you just seemed so put together and authoritative… Wait, why aren’t you in class?”

Put together? Well, that was good at least. It meant no one could tell she was a mess who hadn’t slept. “Nope. Just a lowly student like yourself. Only with a few more privileges.” She searched the computer until she found the school’s scheduling program. _Why didn’t she know who she was? Lena’s family was not exactly low-profile at the moment._

“Wait, if you’re a student how can you look at my schedule? Isn’t that like… confidential? Whose computer is that anyway? What are you doing over there—

Lena interrupted, “Kara, your last name please?” Her voice was honeyed; it was the tone she used to get her way. She also might have been flirting a little bit.

“Are you allowed to be doing this?” Kara approached the desk like she was breaking into a bank. Lena gave her an amused glance. This girl was entirely too honest for her liking. It had to be an act.

“Do you want to be any later to class then you already are, Kara? Principal Henshaw isn’t very forgiving when it comes to absences. What’s your last name?” Lena looked up at the blonde girl in front of her and knew she had her. She wanted her schedule more than she minded breaking the rules. Just like anyone else would in the same situation. Kara wasn’t as good as she pretended, obviously.

“My last name is Danvers. Kara Danvers.”

Lena smirked, “What a pretty name. See, that wasn’t so hard was it Ms. Danvers?” Lena was barely even concealing her flirtation. She didn’t see the point, they were alone. Kara didn’t know who she was. When would she get a better opportunity? Besides, the girl seemed so obtuse she didn’t even notice.

Lena typed in Kara Danvers, but after a moment of thinking the ancient monitor came up with no results. “That’s odd,” she murmured. “No Kara Danvers is showing up. You don’t happen to have any aliases do you?”

She had been joking, but Kara hesitated. “Try… Kara Kent.” Kent. Lena’s hands, which had been hovering over the keyboard froze in place. It felt like she could hear her own breathing, and at the name _Kent_ , Lena was thrust back to four months ago.

_She had been watching the news, under a blanket. There had been coverage of the Metropolis explosion on TV; detailing the death toll, the amount of damage to the city. It had been before she had known. Her life seemed to be forever split into Before and After now. She had suspected of course. He had soaked in every gruesome detail. He reveled in the loss of life. It had made him feel strong. He had made her lunch that day, her favorite. Thai food. He had been arrested by Clark Kent a week later._

_She should have known._

Lena blinked furiously to sweep away the memory, and cleared her expression. Luckily, she had years of experience. She didn’t look at Kara, just typed in the name. The schedule came up.

“I’ll print it for you. Should only take a second.”  

“Thanks. Um…” There was a pause for a moment, and Lena reluctantly looked up at Kara, who surely wanted _something_. “About the name, it’s not right.”

Lena raised her eyebrow, “So you aren’t Kara Kent, the only living blood relative of the mighty Superman?” She kept her voice steady. _What did she care if a Kent went to her school_? _Things were already tense, why not add another fucking thing?_

“Well, no. Clark is my cousin. But it shouldn’t say that on my schedule. I registered under Kara Danvers. Kent is only part of my last name, it’s hyphenated. I’d really appreciate it if the whole Superman business… stayed between us. I just got here, I don’t want anything to get too crazy.” She sounded genuine. Lena didn’t buy it. Clark Kent pretended to be all heroic and honest too, but she knew he loved all the attention and notoriety he got. He had the key to the city, the cushy job offers, girls throwing themselves at him. There were even rumors he was going to run for Mayor of Metropolis. Kara was probably just like him; arrogant and self-righteous.

“I’m doing you a lot of favors here, Kara. What do I get in return for keeping your… little secret?” Lena’s voice was so low it was almost a whisper. She was teasing her obviously, but Kara didn’t know that. Her face scrunched up, and Lena let her sweat for a minute before she rolled her eyes.

“I won’t tell a soul, Kara Danvers. But just so you know, secrets don’t stay secrets around here very long. Trust me.” Lena knew that firsthand. She handed the girl her schedule. Maybe she would finally get some peace and quiet, and have a Kent out of her sight. Even such a pretty one as Kara. She didn’t need the distraction, even though she longed for it. She was used to keeping her longings under check.

At her answer, Kara burst into a smile so large Lena had no idea how it could remain contained on her face. It was obnoxiously cheerful, considering she had done nothing to deserve it.

“Thank you so much,” Kara paused for a second then continued, “I never actually got your name? I feel like an idiot. I don’t even know who I’m thanking.”

Lena considered lying. Looking at the girl’s absurd smile she was tempted to lie. She didn’t want to be responsible for knocking it off her face. It would have been easy to give a fake name, and go on pretending to be Kara’s new friend. To keep flirting. It didn’t matter though. It wouldn’t have lasted. The school was small; someone would tell her who she was sooner or later. Lena would rather have it be herself, that way she had some control over what was said. Not that she cared, she just didn’t want Kara thinking she was her friend. She didn’t have the time or energy for friends. The only thing Kara could be to her was trouble.

She had plenty of that by herself.

“It’s because I didn’t give it.” Her tone was cold. “I’m Lena. Lena Luthor. And if you’re done taking up my time, you can go.” It was a clear dismissal. She was mimicking the way her mother spoke to her employees. Not rude, but it was an order. She hated the way it made her voice sound, so empty and distorted. But it had the desired effect, and despite what her mother constantly told her, she was a Luthor. She might as well act like one.

There was a silence that stretched for millennia. Then Kara spoke, still sounding way too enthusiastic. “Well, thanks a ton Lena. I’ll see you around, hopefully? Maybe we’ll have some classes together. It’d be nice to know someone. Sorry again to bother you.”

The girl hadn’t sounded any different at the news, but she didn’t trust herself to see her facial reaction. She didn’t want to see that look of comprehension, that moment where a stranger knew exactly _what_ she was capable of. What she was.

“Sorry,” the blonde murmured one last time, before retreating back into the safety of the school.

Lena didn’t look up to see her go. She refused to waste any more time looking at Kara Kent that day, even with her pretty face.


	2. Be My Sins Remembered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from a Hamlet soliloquy. You know the one.

Kara Danvers had no idea how she managed to make an enemy on the first day. The first person she met in a brand-new city, a brand-new school had to be a Luthor. Kara didn’t even know her cousin’s rival had a sister, much less that they’d be going to the same school. She texted Clark as she tried to find her way to her classroom.

_9:05_

_Kara: Clark! Why didn’t you tell me the Luthor’s lived in National City???_

_9:06_

_Clark: I thought you knew? Lex was the only one who liked to hang around Metropolis, the rest live in National City. Why?_

_9:06_

_Kara: Lena Luthor goes to my school!!!!!!!!!_

Before Kara could text a reply, she looked up and realized how late she was. She knew it wasn’t Clark’s responsibility to tell her anything, but a little warning might have been nice. He was busy and all, but she deserved to know what he knew.

She didn’t need to make an enemy of a Luthor, just because Clark had. If anything, she wanted to be extra-nice to her so that she didn’t get the wrong idea. After all, Lena had seemed perfectly kind to her. Well, until she found out about the whole Kent ordeal… and then Kara had just left, like she wasn’t even thankful for all the other girl had done… _and oh my god she probably thinks I hate her!_

Kara had to do something to make up for it. Maybe bake some cupcakes, or make brownies, or…

“Ms. Danvers, I presume?” Kara looked up at her teacher, and realized she had barged right into her first class of the day, a good fifteen minutes late.

Kara blushed, and sat down in the first seat she could find while murmuring apologies. For a moment, she glanced around the room for Lena, before realizing that of course she wouldn’t be there, she was in the office. It would have been nice to know someone in the class though, even someone who probably hated her. Oh God she doesn’t hate me, does she?

As the teacher went on about either the 23rd or 32nd President of the United States, Kara tried to take notes. She couldn’t help but suddenly agree with her sister. School was not going as well as she hoped it would.

\--

Kara was beginning to feel okay. She had made some small talk with a few people in her classes, and even gotten to the rest of her classes on time. Then, lunch happened. The bell signaling the end of fourth period echoed against the hallways. Kara followed a few people from her last class, trailing them like she was a reporter or a lost puppy or something. She knew she could have just asked one of them where the cafeteria was, instead of stalking them like some moron, but she just couldn’t. The school was so small; she didn’t want to come off as stupid for not being able to find the cafeteria. She was trying to act like she belonged, and asking strangers dumb questions would shatter the illusion. Kara’s breathing sped up, matching the rising sense of panic in her. What if she couldn’t find it at all?

When she saw the double doors of the cafeteria, the high ceilings, the round tables, the variety of food lines, she grinned. She found the cafeteria, and it looked… gorgeous. There was a salad bar, a pizza/wings area, an espresso machine, and even a line for Chinese food! Kara could practically taste the pot stickers melting in her mouth. The excitement was short lived, because as she held her full tray, she realized… she had nowhere to sit. There was only one table in the room that was empty, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk over there. Everyone would see her eating alone. She considered leaving, finding a quiet hallway somewhere to eat, but she had no idea if that was allowed. After hearing how strict Principal Henshaw was, she didn’t want to risk it.

The memory of that sparked thoughts of finding a familiar face, and Kara scanned the room for Lena. It took her a moment to find the girl, and when she did, she frowned. She was eating alone, at a table right by the exit. She had a book in front of her, and seemed to be ignoring everything around her with minimal effort. She shouldn’t have to eat alone.

Kara started walking over to her, when she stumbled into something. Someone. She hadn’t been watching where she had been going and… suddenly there was a skinny boy with brown hair at her feet, his pizza splattering against the tile.

“Oh my god… I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking. I didn’t mean to… Here let me help you up,” Kara pulled the boy up so fast he almost tripped forward, which just made her apologize again.

“Hey, hey it’s fine. I stuck the landing.” The boy grinned back. He looked down at the floor, and sighed at his ruined lunch. “I can’t say the same for my pizza…”

“Again, I’m really sorry. I’ll buy you lunch to make up for it? Or you can share mine, if you like. I got a little too much anyway.” It was a lie; she could eat everything she had bought. But the gesture seemed like the right thing to do.

“Well, it only seems fair that you surrender half your potstickers to me. And sit with me for lunch of course. Having the new girl at my table makes me look cool. I’m Winn by the way. I think you’re in my first period. AP Government?”

“I’d love to come sit with you!” She cringed at how relieved she sounded, adding, “Oh yeah, Winn. You were behind me, right? I’m Kara.”

They chatted as Winn led her to his table, which was mostly empty. Though you wouldn’t know it from the volume of the argument coming from the table.

“Batman is not a hero, James. He’s basically just some violent rich guy. He doesn’t even have powers. Superman is the real hero!” A pretty girl with short brown hair argued, a lot of passion in her voice for something that sounded rather unimportant.

“Self-made, not rich! He had to work for his power, train, reinvent himself after his trauma. Yeah, he’s flawed, but that’s what makes him a hero. What did Superman have to do? Try not to be too perfect falling from heaven.” A crisply dressed boy sitting next to her said back. He had no lunch in front of him, just a camera that looked older than Kara.

Winn interrupted them both as he approached with her, plopping next to the boy with a camera, placing a hand on his. “Lucy, stop riling up my boyfriend. We all know that the real hero is the actual Superman. Clark Kent? Did you guys see him on the news last night? There’s speculation he might be running for mayor soon.”

The brunette— Lucy groaned, “Winn, we get it. You think Clark Kent is hot. Can you stop being fucking rude and introduce us to your new friend?” Lucy winked at Kara conspicuously, which she entirely missed in her panic.

She nearly yelped when Winn mentioned the name Kent, but he had kept his eyes firmly on James and Lucy, which was a good sign. There was no way he knew who she was then. 

“Oh, I’m Kara. Kara Danvers. I just moved here…” She wasn’t sure what else to add, and she felt dizzy suddenly. She sat down next to Winn. She must have been hungry.

 “And, she owes me half her lunch. She practically tried to kill me over by the lines today. My life flashed before my eyes. Nothing jumpstarts friendship like a terrible debt!” He finished, his tone cheery. 

“What’s the big deal? So, you saw your computer screensaver for a few seconds.” What made the insult even funnier was the fact that Winn had in fact pulled out his laptop at the exact time Lucy said it. James burst into laughter, his whole body shaking as Winn pretending to be offended. Kara joined in, the bubbling laughter easing some of her tension.

“See, at the table thirty seconds and already laughing at you Winn. I like her,” James smiled, it took up practically his whole face. Winn made a big show of letting go of his boyfriend’s hand.

The three friends continued to bicker breezily, like it was a daily routine. Kara had the feeling that it was. They were easy to talk to, and for the first time since she arrived at school, she felt like she was not completely alone. At that thought, she remembered Lena. Sitting alone. In between refereeing a debate on whether The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions were necessary for marathoning, she glanced over where she had seen Lena. She was still there, reading a thick book, no one beside her. The six empty chairs around the table seemed glaringly empty, contrasting against the overflowing tables all around the cafeteria.

Why was she alone? Kara had only been there for half a day, and already she was laughing with Lucy, James, and Winn. Sure, they had probably just invited her over to be nice, but still, it was something. A girl that looked like her? She should have a full crowd. A boyfriend. Or girlfriend, or whatever. Instead she had a worn copy of Hamlet, and a blank expression.

 “Kara? Whatchya looking at?” Winn noticed her staring, and tried to follow her eyes.

Kara turned abruptly, feeling ridiculous. “Checking the time.”

If he put together her and Lena, he’d figure out her and the famous “Superman” were related. After hearing how much he worshipped him, it would completely ruin everything. He would never treat her like a real person, just as Superman’s cousin. At least not until he got to know her better. She was going to tell him of course. She wasn’t exactly hiding it. It was just easier to keep their relationship under wraps. Besides, it could put her, Alex, Eliza, even Clark at risk if everyone knew. People weren’t supposed to know Clark had any family, he was too high profile. Too many criminals wanted him dead.

 _I should tell him Lena knows who I am_ , she thought. Even as she thought it, she knew she wouldn’t tell Clark. It was just an unlucky circumstance. A stupid accident. She didn’t need to worry him. He still hadn’t responded to her texts since the morning.

Throughout the rest of the lunch period Kara only managed to sneak one additional look at Lena. She felt irrationally responsible for the girl eating alone. What if what happened earlier put her in a bad mood, or reminded her that her brother was well… in prison. Bringing all that up had to be just as uncomfortable for Lena as it was for her.

Even if it wasn’t her fault the girl was sitting alone, it was her fault she stayed that way throughout the whole of lunch. Kara could have invited her over, or excused herself from Winn for a minute to say hi. Anything. She didn’t.

She just sat and sided with Winn, “Of course, you have to watch the extended edition of all three. It’s Lord of the Rings, you have to go for it!” As she spoke, Lena closed her book and stood, all in one fluid motion. She was out the door by the time the bell rang, but paused in the doorway, like she sensed eyes on her. She twisted her head, and met Kara’s worried glance, her blue eyes twinkling even in the terrible fluorescent. Even from a hundred feet away. She smirked for a fraction of a second, so quick Kara was unsure if she imagined it, because then the girl was back to her quiet blankness, a lack of expression. Then she was gone.

___

 

Lena Luthor was sprawled out on her couch, deep into her AP Lit reading. Her head was spinning its way through the famous, “to be or not to be” soliloquy. It was her third time reading the page, and the words kept slipping out from under her. The last line of it kept bringing her back to her own thoughts _. Be all my sins remembered. Be all my sins remembered._

It had to be Hamlet.

 Lex had taken her to see Hamlet for her fourteenth birthday. He had always been fond of it, fond of the Tragedies, big T. He liked Oedipus, Antigone, all the classics, but Hamlet was a personal favorite. It was his second favorite Shakespeare, after Julius Caesar, of course. The both of them had to attend a big Luthor event after the play.

Lex took her out for ice cream instead, and they showed up extremely late. The photographer had left, they couldn’t get the professional photo of the entire family for a Time magazine cover. It was the only time Lena had ever seen her mother get mad at her favorite child, and one of Lena’s best birthdays.

There was a heavy knock on the front door, which startled Lena out of her book. She considered waiting for Jess to open it like she usually did, but she was already in the living room. She was so close, might as well save the woman a trip. It was an excuse to put down the book at least.

At the sound of movement in the next room Lena called out, “I’ll get the door Jess, no worries!” She glanced at the little screen on the back of the front door, to check who was there. She didn’t think they were expecting anyone. Her mother was out of the state for the week, hardly a shock, so she was alone in the house, apart from the staff. Who would come to see her?

Kara Kent’s face appeared on the screen, and Lena stared for a solid twenty seconds before opening the door. What could a _Kent_ possibly want from her? Nothing good, that was for certain.

“Ms. Danvers? What do I owe this pleasure?” Her words were laced with sarcasm. She hoped the formality would scare the girl away.

“Um, hey… Lena. Would you maybe call me Kara, if you don’t mind? Ms. Danvers… it just sounds like you’re talking about my foster mom, it’s a little… Anyway, I wanted to come by and thank you. I made cupcakes, actually.” She spoke fast, but Lena had no trouble keeping up, even if she didn’t quite understand what Kara meant.

“Thank me for what, exactly?” Lena eyed the cupcakes Kara held on a plate. They were beautifully iced, appeared to be red-velvet, with rainbow sprinkles. She tried to remember the last time she had eaten. Her last meal had been a cup of coffee at breakfast. She counted it as a meal, but she doubted anyone else would.

“For this morning. I know I kind of acted like an idiot, and I just wanted to apologize, as well as thank you for all your help.” She looked genuine, but Lena sensed there was something else, something the girl wasn’t mentioning.

“It was my job, no need to thank me.” Lena was eager to hurry the conversation along. The longer Kara stood in her doorway, the more likely she was to invite her inside for coffee, or a snack, or anything that would offer her a distraction from her reading, from her own thoughts. If she let herself dwell on them for too long, she would be thrust into the deep end. Lena was not meant to be idle.

There was a moment of awkward silence, until Kara continued. “I just wanted to say something else— if you don’t mind.” Her eyes darted around, catching Lena’s and then looking away. She couldn’t tell if it was shyness, or fear in her that kept the blonde from speaking.

Lena braced herself for whatever Kara was about to say, stepping outside and shutting the door behind them. She didn’t want anyone in the house to overhear, and convey the message to her mother. Explaining why a Kent was on her doorstep to her mother was not something she particularly wanted to do.

“Do I have a choice?” Lena asked, her lips twitching in the ghost of a smile. Kara seemed determined, even if she was a bit hesitant. Lena was sure that whatever awful thing the girl said, she deserved it.

“I want you to know, I am not my cousin. I don’t care about what happened between him and your brother. That’s their business. I want us to have a fresh start. Maybe we could even be friends, if that’s possible.” The last sentence was added on, said like it was a question.

Lena was dumbfounded. This was nothing close to what she had been expecting, and she distrusted it. The girl had to have an ulterior motive, a ploy. If she had to play along to find it out, so be it.

“Friends?” She just repeated it, like the word was a foreign concept. It pretty much was. The only person she had ever considered a friend was Lex, and he had betrayed her, betrayed all of humanity in the end. Her adopted father too, she might say was a friend. He had gone and died on her. Just another form of betrayal.

“Why not?” Kara said, like it was the easiest thing in the world. Like there weren’t a dozen reasons they shouldn’t be friends. That her brother was in jail because of her cousin. That her family had spent an absurd amount of money attempting to get Lex out of jail, even though everyone knew he was guilty. That the Luthor family was filled with bad seeds. That she would inevitably turn out just like her brother, like her mom, if she didn’t fight it with everything she had. That some days she just didn’t have the energy to fight.

The name Luthor was a tangible presence, a shadow which clung to her body, even in the brightest of rooms.  

Lena just took a cupcake off the plate, her face blank, and took a bite. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. “Oh wow, Kara. These are incredible.”

Kara grinned, and her smile was a glimmer of daylight. Lena wanted to trust her, but she knew better. “Thank you! They were nothing, really. I just wanted to do something to show you how I felt. That um— there are no hard feelings or anything, I mean. Between us.”

Lena raised her eyebrows at the wording. “I certainly have no hard feelings. My brother was a maniac, he deserved what he got from your cousin.”

The words almost sounded like she meant them. She wanted to mean them. She knew they were true, but she kept seeing the version of her brother who took her out for her birthday. Not his true self, the one who killed all those people. The one who was rotting away in prison. The one who still sent her letters, which remained unopened, tucked away like the horrible secrets they were. That she even kept them showed what she was like, deep down. She should have burned them, sent them back.   

Lena went on, “I don’t know you very well, Kara. I can’t say we’ll be friends, or even that I understand why you’d want to be friends with me in the first place. You don’t know anything about me, except for whatever lovely things your cousin has told you about my family. Though it may be hard to believe, I’m not out to get you. Despite my last name.” 

It made sense. Kara was worried she had made an enemy of her, that she would be the victim of another evil Luthor's plot. That’s why she had come, to win her over.

“My cousin and I have never talked about you, he’s not like that. And Lena… you are not your last name.”

Kara said it, and the words warmed Lena. She felt at peace for a moment, as she let the impossibility wash over her. Something about Kara made her want to believe the impossible. To buy into what she said completely.

She did believe in Kara, to an extent. She believed that Kara meant what she said in the moment, but once she got to actually know who she was? To know her family? Kara would never see her as anything but a Luthor, when it really mattered. Lena would not be betrayed again.

“I’m sure that Metropolis’s golden boy, that _Superman_ —” the name dripped with disdain, “would never stoop to that level. Especially not when he’s running for mayor. That would make him look terrible wouldn’t it? Can’t have that.”

“Lena—

“Kara, thank you for the cupcakes.” She took the plate from the girl carefully, like it was a ticking bomb. “I really do need to get back to some homework, though. Thanks for stopping by.” It was rude, and Lena knew it, but she couldn’t deal with Kara standing on her front porch. Kara talking about _no hard feelings_ and _fresh starts_. All things a Luthor did not know what to do with.

“Oh… right, of course. I don’t mean to intrude. If you need anything though neighbor, I’m right across the street. Stop by whenever you like!” She tried to keep the same cheerful tone from before, but Lena could tell her words had hurt her feelings. Why then, was the blonde still trying to invite her over, to be so damn nice?

Lena nodded, not trusting herself to respond fully. As Kara finally left Lena to herself, Lena set the plate down on the kitchen table. She ate another cupcake, and then left a note for any of the staff to help themselves. She hardly needed her mother harping her about her weight again.

As she sat back down on her couch, she couldn’t help but think of what Kara had insisted. _You are not your last name_. Lena Luthor had never been told anything like that before. It was contrary to everything she knew, everything she believed.

“Jess?” Lena called out, knowing Jess was only a room over, snacking on one of the cupcakes she had left out.

“Yes, Miss Luthor?” She emerged from the kitchen.

“Would you mind putting together a welcome basket for the new neighbors? Maybe some cheese, fruits, flowers, a bottle of wine or two? Also, a large assortment of pastries. We should welcome them to the neighborhood. They just dropped something off over here, and heaven knows mother wouldn’t want us to be rude.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Miss Luthor. I’ll make the arrangements right away.” The smile on Jess’s face was almost knowing. Lena wondered how much of the conversation she had overheard. She fought a blush, embarrassed by the whole conversation.

“I’m just acting as my mother would.” It was a self-pitying statement; one Jess may have protested if she hadn’t received a phone call before she could reply. It was Lillian of course, she needed something sent to her in Barcelona.

Lena curled back up on the couch, hoping the gift basket would be enough to make Kara feel better, but impersonal enough that it would discourage her to come over again. Lena didn’t know what she would do if Kara was as kind, as soft as she pretended to be. If Kara with her smile, her blonde hair perpetually falling out of its pony-tail, her shining eyes, still saw the best in her, despite her behavior. Despite who she was. 

If Kara offered her a fresh start for a second time, Lena might be foolish enough to take her up on it.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I randomly got inspired to start up this fic again... enjoy! <3


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